Artificial fuel and method of making the same.



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EARLE JAY BABCOCK, F GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA.

ARTIFICIAL FUEL AND "METHOD OE MAKING- THE SAME.

No Drawing.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EARLE J. BABCOCK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Grand Forks, in the county of Grand Forks and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and Improved Artificial Fuel and Method of Making the Same, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates generally to methods of treating lignite coal and more particu- 'ous other purposes.

larly is directed to the manufacture of fuel briquets from lignite or other non-coking coal, the principal object of the invention being to utilize a low grade, non-coking coal, such as lignite, in the manufacture of a high grade, valuable and artificial fuel.

One of the principal elements or steps in the carrying out of my invention is the employment of a special carbonized lignite coal residue as a result of drying and roasting a lignite or some other suitable low grade non-coking coal. This residue constitutes the base or major portion of the product, and I have found that the by-products, including the gases driven off by the roasting process, may be availed of for varilVhile for convenience of expression 1 may use the word lignite hereinafter as constituting the source of said principal ingredient of my briquets, such term is to be given an interpretation broad enough to cover any suitable species or type of low grade non-coking coal.

Many attempts have been made heretofore to briquet lignite coal, the processes employed, however, not sufiiciently raising the fuel value of the coal along with overcoming the peculiar difficulties met with in the storing, handling and burning of lignite. In order to overcome these difficulties there are several underlying principles which must be considered in a successful process; in the method herein disclosed, the aim is to properly utilize all of these underlying principles in order to produce a de sirable and high grade fuel at a sufliciently low cost of production to prove a practical, commercial success.

The results aimed at in the successful briqueting of lignite are the removal of a large per cent. of water which reduces the value of the coal and causes disintegration of the lumps; the removal of a large proportion of the very light and volatile gases which causes disintegration of the coal when Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 5, 1912.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Serial No. 681,851.

burning, the gases being lost in the ordinary method of utilizing this coal; saving of the removed gases for purposes of heat, light and power, and, finally, the produc tion from the residue, after the gas has been removed, of a fuel which will not disintegrate when exposed to the Weather but which will be strong and stand handling, which will not disintegrate when burning, which will have a high heat value, and which will be in a form convenient for burning. In order to secure all of these desirable results the following method, which embodies the subject-matter of this application, has been successfully used: The lignite or low grade coal is dried either by air or by any of the ordinary methods of artificial drying, or by being dried in a portion of the retort or oven in which the gas is removed. The gas is then removed from the coal by means of any of the numerous methods used for such purposes. The gas removed may be collected in suitable holders for use in heating, lighting or for power purposes. carbonized residue which is left after the gas has been removed is non-cokingv and, although high in carbon and heat units, is usually of comparatively little value in the form in which it is left. This residue is crushed or finely ground and mixed with a variable per cent. of finely crushed or ground coking coal, the percentage of which ranges from four to ten. The purpose of driving off the volatile gases is to concentrate the original lignite into the residue The which can be converted into briquets of higher heat value and also by the removal of the light volatile gases to leave a material which, when briqueted, will not disintegrate by expansion and expulsion of the light gases during the process of burning when the coal becomes highly heated.

While attempts have been made to briquet wet and dry lignite without removing the lignite residue and the small percentage of ground coking coal is next combined with a small percentage of pitch of proper consistency, making a double or compound mix ture. The percentage of pitch which I have found most desirable for this method of briqueting lignite residue generally varies from 4 to 8%. The pitch is introduced along with the coking coal into a mixer or agitator which is heated to the melting point of the pitch; it is obvious that the pitch may be introduced in a molten and hot condition or as a solid in the pulverized or crushed condition; in any event the compound mixture of lignite retorted residue, the percentage of ground coking coal, and the pitch is then agitated and heated at the same time to or beyond the melting point of pitch. At this stage it has been found desirable to introduce a small amount, usually from one-half to two per cent. of flour or of finely ground grain or waste seed, or some similar material for the purpose of supplying small amount of glutinous matter to the mixture. This material may be introduced either dry or in the form of a solution, or it may be blended dry with the coal mixture. The fiour or ground seed is thus thoroughly mixed in the agitator or mixer with the coal mixture and pitch. While the fiour is not essential to my process when mixed with hot pitch and ground lignite residue, it has been found to give a superior briquet because on the drying of the briquet the glutinous matter becomes very hard, thus strengthening the finished briquet, while the pitch thus blended adds to the binding quality and renders the product waterproof. After the mixture has been made as described, it is conveyed, while still heated, to some form of briqueting machine which molds it or presses it into blocks or briquets of a desirable size and shape.

The use of pitch as a binder is well.

known; the mixture of coking coal with anthracite has been used; starch and flour have been used alone for binders; coke has been briqueted; but in no process heretofore known or used has lignite coal been carbonized so as to save the gas, and the carbonized residue being then blended with the powdered coking coal, the pitch and the flour or ground grain or seed, and formed into briquets as described.

From the foregoing description it is ap parent that my method converts the raw lignite into a high grade residue and then, by making use of other well known prin ciples and combining the residue with mixtures, as also pointed out, produces a combination capable of yielding a high grade, artificial fuel or briquet in a practical, economical and commercial manner.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. The process of producing artificial fuel or briquets which consists in first converting a non-coking low grade coal into a carbonized residue by removing the moisture and the gases therefrom, then reducing such residue into small particles, then mixing this finely reduced residue with ground or finely crushed coking coal and pitch, then heating the mixture to the melting point of the pitch, then adding a small portion of glutinous matter thereto, and finally molding or pressing such mixture into suitable forms or briquets.

2. The herein described artificial fuel which consists of the combination of a noncoking carbonized residue obtained from lignite or low grade non-coking coal, finely crushed coking coal and pitch, and a suitable amount of glutinous matter.

3. The herein described artificial fuel which consists of a base of specially pre pared carbonized non-coking lignite residue, approximately 7 per cent. of round coking coal, approximately 6 per cent. of pitch, and approximately 1.}; per cent. of glutinous matter, all combined substantially as hereinbefore described.

4. The herein described process of making artificial fuel which comprises the treatment of a low grade non-coking coal by heating and roasting to drive off moisture and volatile gases leaving a carbonized non-coking residue which constitutes the major portion of the product, then reducing this carbonized residue into small particles, then adding to this finely divided residue a quantity of from d to 10 per cent. of finely ground coking coal and a quantity of from 4 to 8 per cent. of pitch, then thoroughly mixing this compound mixture of carbonized residue, coking coal and pitch, then heating the compound mixture, and then adding to the heated mixture a quantity of from to 2 per cent. of glutinous matter, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

The herein described artificial fuel which consists of the combination of a noncoking carbonized residue obtained from lignite' or low grade non-coking coal, finely crushed coking coal and pitch, and a suitable amount of dry flour from ground grain or seeds.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EARLE JAY BABCOOK.

Witnesses O. A. l/Vues'rnn, A. E. PEER Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

